Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-Year-Old to Murder Her Family

by Robert Remington, Sherri Zickefoose

Marc and Debra seemed to have it all—a lovely home in the Prairie town of Medicine Hat, fulfilling careers, a supportive marriage, and two beautiful eight-year-old Jacob and twelve-year-old JR. After years of struggle to reach this point, they finally felt their future held promise. But on April 23, 2006, their bodies were discovered in their basement, covered in savage stab wounds. Upstairs, Jacob lay dead on his bed, his toys spattered with blood.

Investigators worried for JR’s safety, but unknown to them, the pretty honour roll student had been developing a disturbing alter ego online. Runaway Devil professed a fondness for a darker world of death metal music, the goth subculture, and a love for Jeremy Steinke, a twenty-three-year-old high-school dropout who lived in a rundown trailer park. Soon, shocking evidence in JR’s school locker—printed here for the first time—led police to believe the girl was a suspect in her family’s murders.

The case horrified parents everywhere. Journalists Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose have been covering it from the beginning, and in Runaway Devil , they reveal what really the unlikely young love, the teenage rebellion, a troubling world of adolescent drifters, and a small community torn apart by an unthinkable crime.

A modern cautionary tale, Runaway Devil is also a chilling portrait of an approval-seeking man smitten with a manipulative young girl—who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Canada, Psychology, Biography

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tara Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like sensationalist tabloid true-crime.

Although most crime authors tend to sensationalize the story for the market, I really wanted to yell at both of these authors. First of all, if you're going to pretend to be a nonpartial observer/writer, be NONPARTIAL.

The entirety of the book is overwhelmingly pro-Jeremy, the 23yr old rapist/murderer who was "overwhelmed" and "seduced" by a "smart and emotionally moving" 12yr old.

I REPEAT: You're supposed to feel sorry for the 23 yr old for coming under the influence of his 12 year old girlfriend? Come on.

The book is painfully uncomfortable to read in parts, with the author's opinions overwhelming the facts on the page, and the levels of conjecture where fact is non-existent are completely blown out of proportion.

I'd say that if you want more information about the case, wikipedia it. Otherwise, forget it.

[Alisha Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised that the Richardson family murders weren't a big headline in the U.S. despite the fact that it happened in Canada. You would think that some people would bring it up and say "See the US Justice System isn't THAT bad. Sure we let Casey Anthony out, but we would NEVER give an underage murderer a slap on the wrist!" But, nevertheless, this is my first time hearing of this case. I was intrigued by the cover, so I decided to check Runaway Devil out of the library, and was appalled by the case and the subsequent sentence that Jasmine Richardson (one of the murderers) received.

So, Jasmine Richardson masterminded this evil plan of murdering her parents and her 8 year old little brother because her parents wouldn't let her see her 23 year old pedophile boyfriend. Oh, right, I forgot to mention that Jasmine Richardson was only 12 at this time. Yep, a 12 year-old girl masterminded a plan to snuff out her parents who were only looking out for her well-being. She was manipulative, cold, and all-around sociopathic, but can't really be categorized as such because her young brain is still developing. Therefore, she is only plagued by a conduct disorder despite the fact that all accounts on this case have stated that she has shown no remorse for the cold-blooded murders of her family.

Her pedophile EX-boyfriend (these two sick "love" birds broke up while they were/are in prison), was actually the one who murdered Jasmine Richardson's mother and father. Jasmine, herself, has admitted to stabbing her brother, even while he begged for his life stating that he was "too young to die." Jeremy has received 25-to-life, but Jasmine Richardson only received a maximum sentence of ten years, two which were taken out for time served. She'll be out by 2012 (and some people say that she's actually allowed outside to prowl amongst society during unsupervised visits). And if that isn't bad enough, if she's out and doesn't commit any crimes in five years, her record will be expunged. That's right. She'll be allowed to work as a teacher with kids despite the fact that she murdered one, if she so chooses to. Jasmine Richardson's name also isn't allowed to published by the media thanks to some idiotic law that protects vicious, underage, murderers. But I'm not Canadian nor am I a journalist, so I can say "Jasmine Richardson murdered her parents with the help of her pedophile boyfriend" all I want.

Now that I got those thoughts on the case of my chest, I can finally start off about why I DIDN'T really like Runaway Devil. The authors are clearly biased. Their views on the Goth subculture, Wicca, cutting, and Jeremy Steinke come off so strongly that you can tell exactly what they feel about each one of those things. The writing was also majorly inconsistent. For example, they write that Jasmine Richardson cried while confessing to some of her crimes (this wasn't in quotations, by the way, so it wasn't taken verbatim from the recording) and then they go on to say (in quotes from the recording) that the cop questioning Jasmine was wondering why she wasn't crying. So did she cry or didn't she cry? It doesn't change my opinion either way, but that inconsistency bothered me.

Another thing that bothered me was that the author was trying to add some poeticism to his prose...and ultimately failed at it. It's clear that this was to make Runaway Devil more dramatic. But the crimes committed are already dramatic, so why would you try to add more drama to it by putting in these hokey lines like "the shards of glass reflected JR and Steinke. 7 years of bad luck" (not verbatim, but you, unfortunately, get the picture)? This book also had moments where it dragged and was dry. It also didn't stick to the facts and was plagued with things that weren't even remotely tied to the case or the town. So it seems as if they were there to fluff the book up so that it could pass the 200 page mark.

So, I don't really recommend Runaway Devil. I gave it two stars because some of the details seem to be accurate and there really isn't another book about Jasmine Richardson's and Jeremy Steinke's crimes. But all in all, I found it to be really biased and poorly written.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this one before, parts of it were very familiar. A really horrific Canadian murder committed by a 12 year old girl, and her boyfriend. The girl's mother, father and younger brother were all brutally murdered in their home.

[Venus H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really crap writing by Remington and Zickefoose. He uses an extremely condescending tone towards teens, and writes J's story as if he wasn't just another nosy reporter trying to make a buck off her. He describes it as if J killed her family because she's a teen, but I find it completely biased and at times ridiculous.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a Horrific crime but the story is poorly told. Lots of blame games but does not truly put together an overall unbiased conclusion on the effects of an unstable home life, Authors give the feel of must be the music and other teens that drove them to commit the crime. You can tell some research was done but a lot of it comes from transcripts.

[Rhiannon Rabby | 31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate the way true crime novels seem to give so much useless information in the beginning of the story. Who the fuck cares about the history of Medicine Hat? I’M HERE FOR THE 12 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO MURDERED HER ENTIRE FUCKING FAMILY. But please, tell me more about the oil fields. Yeah, that would be great. Riveting, actually.
Luckily the story progressed quickly enough and it wasn’t long until the murders took place. It was crazy. Never have I heard a 12 year old speak the way she did, and I don’t only mean violently, just that she was so far beyond her years, and not in a good way. When I was 12 I was playing with Bratz dolls. When JR was 12, she was having sex with a 23 year old man and fantasizing about killing her parents. It made for an interesting (and horrifying) read.
I don’t usually like photos in novels, as I find they’re just grainy and shitty. The photos in this novel were printed on photo paper and were actually of very high quality, so I did enjoy them and found they added another interesting element to the story.
The end of the novel was equally as boring as the beginning, maybe even worse. Mmmm no, definitely worse. They should really just wrap it the fuck up after the trial and the verdict.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case I haven't made myself clear already, I really love true crime! This case hits close to home - it was a sensational case that took place in Canada. Headlines and nasty rumours even reached as far as where I was living at the time in Northern Ontario. There is one word that kept popping up throughout the book, as well as through other reviews I've read, and blogs still keeping track of the case - unthinkable. That's exactly what this case is. Unthinkable.

As the verdicts and sentences were read out, JR would become the youngest Canadian to be convicted of first-degree murder - on all three counts. At the tender age of 12, she masterminded and manipulated her way into getting her family killed by her devoted boyfriend. Through all my years as a university student, never have I encountered such blatant hostility and organization by such a young mind. Thankfully, such events took place while she is very much still a child - through extensive treatment (which she has been receiving), she can modify her behaviours and (hopefully) become a model adult - as the ending epilogue states, her treatments were going very well, and she does not pose a threat to society. I'm sure there are many who beg to differ.

There are many details of the case that seem rather fuzzy. Both JR and Jeremy refuse to take the blame for the killing of eight-year old Jacob - each forcing culpability on the other. Though common with many co-accused, this still doesn't sit well with me. Jeremy takes full responsibility for the murders of Debra and Marc - all fine and dandy. But there are many questions remaining as to little Jacob. Unfortunately, I highly doubt those are answers we will ever receive.

What I really liked was the fact that the authors were sure to make a distinction between these two individuals and the rest of the goth subculture. It is unfair to place blame on an entire subculture for the actions of two individuals. Simply because one is goth does not mean that one will be a violent individual - just the same as not every jock is brainless, and every book lover is a geek. Stereotypes do not predict violent behaviour. There are many psychological, sociological, and criminological studies and research papers that back this argument. To the authors for making this clear - thank you, you did your due diligence, and you did your jobs as journalists.

There is much research in the academic community about young individuals who murder their families. Sifting through it all is quite the task - trust me, I've been there. But there are often commonalities - a young person who seeks the death of their family (for the grand majority) come from situations of abuse, neglect, substance abuse, or all of the above. This was not the case for JR. This begs the question of why? Why did she plan this - why did she want this? It seems those answers are fuzzier than we'd like to believe. She felt restrained by the rules her family tried to impose on her as her behaviour began going off the rails. She felt trapped and wanted an escape. Her grandiose view of how her life should be matches that of a 12-year-old mind - she wanted a castle in Europe, she wanted to be able to do whatever she wanted, and she wanted to be with her boyfriend. These seem like the normal dreams of 12-year-old girls. But where her mind took her in order to achieve those dreams is certainly not typical of her age group.

All you have to do is Google "Runaway Devil", and you will be flooded with information in regards to the case. There is no telling how much of this information is fact, fiction, personal opinion, or a combination. Only two people truly know what happened in that house. They are the only two who can be held responsible for these murders, and they are the only two who can tell the whole truth. As has been evident, this isn't going to happen any time soon.

This was a sensational case that rocked the very core of Canadian criminal law. It called into question the fairness of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and outraged citizens of Medicine Hat who feel she "got off easy". Cases like these are chilling. Cases involving young offenders often leave off with a feeling of "unfairness". This is normal. What is abnormal is a 12-year-old girl planning and executing a triple murder in her own home. Here's to hoping all her treatments and rehabilitation aren't for naught.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about a rare and horrible crime. I have to say the book dragged a bit when the authors were listing, it seemed, every single Instant Messenger communication that ever passed between the young lovers, but it didn't run into THAT many pages so I can forgive it.

[Ceeceereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a harrowing crime and a shocking read- I had not previously heard of this case. This account was very well written and explored a lot of the complexities and psychology of how a child could commit such a crime, answers that may not be fully answered. 5 stars.

[Bree Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really well written for a true crime book. "Runaway Devil" kept me interested in the story the entire time. The book wasn't to overbearing on the technical jargon of law, it was a good combination of 'narrative' like writing, quotes, evidence, and trial.

I had first heard of Jasmine Richardson on the show Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery. Originally they referred to her as JR (as they do in the book due to Canadian law of keeping the identity of young offenders as secret as possible, stupid by the way), but one simple search on Google and her name and all her profile pictures pop right up. I eventually heard of this book and decided I wanted to read it.

"Runaway Devil" covers all the details of Jasmine Richardson's transformation into the goth scene and her forbidden romance with 23 year old Jeremy Steinke, which in turn drove her to plan and carry out the murders of her parents and younger brother, because they were being too loving and protective of their little girl. The crime is horrific and it is baffling how a 12 year old girl could carry out something like this. However, the more frustrating part is the Canadian laws that protect her from any real punishment this is where I begin to love America, because no matter what age a triple homicide would not go unpunished. Even as I write this a mere 4 years later now sixteen year old Jasmine Richardson is being released into probation, PROBATION! She murders her entire family and she gets 4 years medical treatment and probation! It's sickening, and I believe anyone who needs to learn to appreciate our justice system a little more (not saying our system is perfect) should read this book, I know that I definitely do now.

[Kat Attack. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read like a macabre blame game reminiscent of the satanic panic of the 80s. Hide your kids hide your wife, goths and heavy metal will ruin your life and destroy your community. Sure Nancy Reagan, sure. (Insert over exaggerated eye roll and exasperated sigh)

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at the recommendation of a friend who enjoys true crime stories. I didn't read any of the reviews until I was done and I was thankful for that. I always find it intriguing how people can read the same story and come away with such different impressions of the story. I thought the authors did a wonderful job of digging down into the details of this bizarre love/mass murder event. Many reviewers felt the authors indicated a bias on who to blame for the tragic outcome, but I have two thoughts on this:

1. How do you ever write a piece of true crime non-fiction without your feelings creeping in at some point? The research and background information obtained through countless hours of research, would have led the writers to form their own opinions.
2. Who cares? Honestly, who cares? Jasmine Richardson and Jeremy Steinke are both guilty of the crime and both received their criminal sentencing accordingly. Of course, as JR was only 12 at the time of the murders, her sentence was the maximum allowed for someone her age. For most people this was is shockingly lenient.

I enjoyed the book as much as someone can when reading "true crime". It is disturbing, but I was completely engaged throughout the story. Great job Mr. Remington and Ms. Zickefoose!

[Jaime Boyington · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was a bit needlessly descriptive in my opinion, the authors were ‘setting the scene’ but the overly lengthy dis rip toon of the scenery and environment were a bit much. The story itself it feels very well, really makes you feel for JR and Jeremy, it really shows the flaws in the actual criminal justice process. From unlawful interrogation to denial of charter rights, the case was handled sloppily. Very informative approach to conveying the process and facts of the trial.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most brutal book I have read in a long time! I can’t begin to fathom a 12 year little girl helping to kill her parents and her little brother all for the love of a 22 year old man. This author did a great job at retelling this horrific Canadian crime.

[Izele Viernes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written Literature Evaluation

Funny. Thrilling. Passionate. No words can describe my thoughts about this book and the characters. How can a 12-year-old girl easily plan for her family’s death? I am terrified and deeply rooted in that question. Jasmine Richardson seemed to have it all - happy family, friends, beauty, intelligence and indeed a life that she should be content with...but NO. Many characters in a novel had this feature and had a happily ever after in the end but it’s different for Runaway Devil. While reading this story, my judgement about the characters always varies or changes. I sometimes get angry and then after a minute have pity but at the end I always feel surprised about how the happenings occurring in the Richardson family’s life become tragic and unbearable. I am deeply amazed on how the author built the manners of characters in the story. I can clearly see that they assessed every character’s personalities very well and I love it when every person in that book shares their own perspectives and P.O.V even those who have minor roles.

I deeply adore Marc and Debra for being great parents to their two children. They are an amazing couple and that’s why they are my favorite characters in the book. I love the positive kind of woman Debra is. “‘Don’t need a phone call back. Just wanted to let you know I love you until you love yourself.’ I love the bones and the skin you’re in.” That was her famous saying according to Judith that really shows her true colors as a family member, a friend, a wife and lastly a mother. She just wanted J.R. and Jacob to have a happy life, especially when they decided to move to their new house where their new life has begun. 304 Cameron Road Southeast, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada… the house where Debra’s dream came true but suddenly vanished when Runaway Devil and Souleater started to start dreaming about their so-called fairytale castle and happy ending. Marc's heroism when he tried to defend his household against Jeremy's attacks is an admirable act. I believe that every sane father would do that until their very last breath. His love for his family is really shown in the story just like when he jumped on Jeremy and attempted to stab him in the chest using a screwdriver but ended up shoved his thumbs in Steinke’s eyes. This couple are the characters in the story that we should aspire to become more like. We can achieve this when we live in the path of righteousness and be pure to yourself because I firmly believe that we only have a short life-span to be someone else. Be you. Sergeant Chris Sheehan also is an admirable character for his determination and reasoning that our defenders of the people should have. Sergeant Sheehan even slipped into the courtroom to witness the conclusion in his own eyes. “Justice has been done,” that was what the man who had led the investigation and suffered public humiliation stated after Steinke was finally sentenced.

Many of you will point J.R. and Jeremy for the characters that you strongly disliked but for me it’s the environment and society who led them through that awful situation. Examples are when she joined several social networking websites like MySpace.com and Nexopia where she began acting or pretending older than her age. J.R. who once was a very quiet girl that suddenly changed. I think that in Jeremy's case, he became that man because of where he went on or went through his whole life when his father and step-fathers became abusive. Yes, they’ve changed a lot because of these things but you know what’s the biggest thing that they’ve done which had a great impact? When they started to lose faith and changed their beliefs to our God. Don’t live away on God’s mercy, God has a plan. Trust it, live it, enjoy it. If they wouldn’t end up that way, then this story will be different from others, a cliche plot and a happily ever after. If they just had a strong faith in God in the first place, this tragedy wouldn’t happen.

When J.R. and Jeremy started to plan or talk about killing the Richardson’s family really stuck me for it is a horrible thing to talk about your own family’s death. April 23,2006, was the exact day when the Richardson family’s happy life got disturbed by a boy who sneaked to their lovely home through the window. I think the majority or even all of us would agree if I told you that once, twice or many times in our lives, our parents disciplined and made a disapproval of our decisions in life. When they were blocking J.R. 's freedom and restrained her plans, that was their way of letting her feel that they were terribly concerned about her situation and I know that most of the parents would do that. Minor characters always let us know how great the Richardson family is. Their P.O.V’s slapped me that this family doesn’t deserve this kind of ending. We all know that our life is not permanent just like their deaths that will never be replaced by anything.

This whole book consists of memories of the characters about what happened before, during and after the crime. The memories are very important for the story’s flow and it helps so that we, the readers will know their different perspectives about this unbelievable moment of their lives. Example is the testimonies of their friends and other characters who reminisce about their wonderful past and happy moments with the Richardsn Family. The authors make use of the friends and family’s disbelief that J.R. – a loving honors student – could not have murdered her family by choice or under her own discretion. The authors provided intel and detail regarding these notions. J.R.’s best friend Aubrey’s court statement during J.R.’s trail and Marc’s sister Monique’s statement during Jeremy’s trail were highlighted by the authors as primary examples of those who came to J.R.’s defense. The authors disclose Aubrey’s first impressions of Jeremey for which she defined his attitude and demeanour as “immature.” She also added that he had a major and noticeable influence on J.R. on multiple levels. Monique’s statement was in congruence with Aubrey’s statement. Her statement read as such: “My little niece, she was so sweet, you killed her, too: the beautiful little sweet princess I knew. I will never understand how in the few short months you knew each other; she could have changed so much. She was an A student.”

J.R.’s experiences are very traumatic for me because I know that it's hard to grow up without parents to guide and love you unconditionally. “Steinke, he didn’t know how to handle her. A part of me feels for him because he loved her. He truly loved her. With his mentality, I would even buy it that he was not going there to kill anybody. He was going there to scare them, thinking he would grab his damsel in distress and they would run away. I can see him thinking that. I truly believe he was coming from the heart and JR was on this huge power trip.” Judith stated which I kind of agree with because at a young age, attention, being sexy and adorable really matters. At 12, you would always choose fun and excitement before school. You would choose fame and thrill before anything else which came to the point that you will question even the teachings of our Lord God and that’s the biggest mistake of J.R., that’s the scariest downfall which led her to think and plan for her beloved “parental units” death. It's just normal to get angry at our parents but don't let it last. Yes, we do have misunderstandings but we are called as a family so we can live and accompany each other. In my understanding, her actions and the way she had spoken about how angry she is at her parents is a normal thing for teenagers who're talking to their friends. J.R. didn’t fall as deeply in love as Jeremy, I don’t think she would. She is just infatuated like how she craved for physical affection. Infatuation is being in love with the idea of someone like what they thought would be the end of their fairytale, living at a castle and no one will hinder them but love is totally different. It is being in love with who the person really is. That’s when I contradict Judith’s statement about Jeremy being in love. Infatuation makes you act irrationally or ‘crazy’ but love calms you down. Like killing J.R. 's parents even if they’re both sane, infatuation lead them to that crime. Love has genuine intentions, while the other has ulterior motives. Infatuation is intense but short-lived, this resembles Jeremy having Morgan as her new girlfriend. Jeremy is just in love with the idea of having little girls or girls below her age as his lover. Infatuation makes you vengeful; love makes you a better person.

I learned a lot by reading this book. The word PERFECT is not that surreal and it will never be for humans like us. A happy family only exists if every member of it is also happy just like a funny group of friends, if there’s a one who couldn’t join the vibe then this group of funny people. I also analyzed that being a tight parent wouldn’t be that good but it depends on how you raise your child. If you didn’t even let them do or obey your commands on simple things like washing the dishes, then she will never learn to obey you on the great commandments you impose. At a young age, love is a great impossible word so instead of bearing that burden and turning your back to your studies and parents, why don’t you assure and plan your future first? Strive hard and make your parents proud so that their fatigue will be worthy. Above all, I learned that to “[5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6.

“Runaway Devil” is a factual piece of Canadian literature that effectively details the odious truths of Canada’s youngest multiple homicide killer in Medicine Hat and Canadian justice history. Remington and Zickefoose masterfully craft the horrific crimes details by telling the true story as if it were a thrill-seeking and chilling crime novel. In doing so, this allowed for exceptional depth, perspective and intel regarding the victims, the families, the courts, and the perpetrators involved in the case, where these authors excelled for me because of their knowledge and hard-work on getting into every character’s background information and important details. While the book is strongly delivered in an enjoyable way, the composition needed to include further explanations and references in some instances. While the authors provide exceptional background information, scenic details, and informative explanations, the plot is sometimes confusing to follow. Throughout the book, timelines and perspectives are interchanged causing confusion about the order of events. In order to minimize this confusion, the authors needed to provide some clarity by referring to other points in time that correlated with the newly mentioned events. Each time the story jumped in the timeline it needed to contain a brief explanation as to how the new information was related to, or in some cases different from, earlier events. For instance, at the beginning of the book the crimes are outlined as police investigators examine the crime scene. Later in the book, however, testimonies are heard from both J.R. and Jeremy. These testimonies not only differ from each other, as each offender tries to plead their own innocence, the testimonies also differ from the original outline of events. In order to clarify the differences, the authors could have referred to the inconsistencies and explained them. Upon examination, it later becomes evident that the original outline is only a general depiction of the crimes and is used for referencing. Eventually, both J.R. and Jeremy provide their own descriptions of the offences in more detail but each have motivation to cover up the severity of their own personal involvement. Briefly noting these differences and describing why they appear would have aided in keeping the timeline clear and the story consistent. Although some confusion is expected since “neither JR nor Jeremy Steinke ever took responsibility for the death of Jacob” additional clarification, where possible, would have improved the intelligibility of the story.



Overall, I will rate it as 8/10 compared to the books that I have read, it’s not the type of book that I usually read but this one frustrated me a lot about the outcomes and the resolution of the crime. Based on my calculations and to the Calgary Herald, freedom loomed for Canada’s youngest triple killer in 2016 and we can’t eradicate the fear that this tragedy brought to everyone. I liked how this tragedy became a catchy novel for me and I will definitely read more from the “True crime” genre.

I also wanted to congratulate the author for doing a great job and it is of no surprise that “Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-Year-Old to Murder Her Family” was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book. Meeting such high standards and gaining recognition from highly esteemed writing associations places this book respectably within its broader discipline. This distinguished book is an entertaining read and is placed alongside many similar award winning books of its kind. It drove me crazy and I can’t stop myself on getting much more details and deeper understanding about Jasmine which led me everywhere on the web like her real identity, the exact location of their house at the google map, what’s her life status now and her very peaceful and pure face which reminded me of Anne Hathaway.

The authors beautifully conveyed this central aspect of the book through their skillful use of tone and non-traditional non-fiction writing style. However, among these praises, I’m curious if readers would be receptive to the book's non-traditional means of conveying its contents. The authors tell the crime as if it were a thrilling, fictional crime novel which could be a dislike for many traditional nonfiction readers. This book can be a good read for those who are interested in crime and investigations books with an awful tragedy but it will fit everyone’s choice because the authors crafted it elegantly. This is one of those books I will never forget and I would recommend it to those who enjoy detailed reading on both true crime stories and fictional crime novels.

[J.H. Moncrieff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars for confirming my decision not to have kids.

I'm glad the internet isn't beholden to archaic Canadian laws. If you want to know who this girl really was, a simple Google search will tell you.

[Charly]

My favorite character would have been JR because she isn't shy and she will express how she feels whenever. She is a girl with pride and yes she is negative a lot, but she is a strong girl. Jr’s mother was a woman who helped others and she gave great hugs. This woman was full of happiness and change. She wanted a better world and she wanted her kids to have the perfect life. She is someone who only shows her happy side. People said she's always happy, as her smile was contagious. We can become like her by smiling more often and having a positive attitude. I strongly dislike Jeremy (Jr’s boyfriend) because he has a bad influence on others and himself. He is an adult but acts like a very young teenager, and he dates girls that are ten times younger than him which is illegal because they are all teenage girls. He is almost always high or drunk and he doesn't know what he is thinking. He acts without thinking. He went so over board with Jr’s family just for her love when that could have been handled a different way. He was so proud of himself for accomplishing murdering someone for love and he was proud of himself for being able to do something for his girlfriend, but then upset and I don't understand because whenever he talks to people about it he describes it like it was fun, but whenever he is in his cell he cries about it. The author needed to have him in this story because he is one of the main characters. If there was no him then there wouldn't be a crazy boyfriend to take the lives of her family and then go to jail with Jr. When she asked her boyfriend to help her get rid of her family I thought that that really showed who she is. She doesn't have any empathy and she only cared about a guy that is 23 whenever she is 13. Her parents gave her life and a home and food to eat with a great school. They gave their children what they needed like any other person. Jr was loved but she only wanted the love from her boyfriend who she wasn't allowed to date. So Jr got rid of her parents so that she could have her boyfriend and could go on dates with him. The author had written about how he didn't have any hurt or sad feelings when her mother, father, and brother all were dead. She didn't care, because all she cared about was having her love. Jr never really has shown any emotions before, but I thought that she would have cried or been upset as it was her family that she just lost. In our society whenever we lose a member of the family we are devastated and feel alone for a little while, but never mind one member she lost three members and had no emotions.


The killing of her parents and her brother just can't leave my head because it was such a horrifying thing to read about. I could never imagine having a boyfriend that would do that for you. When Jr and Jeremy were writing notes to each other in jail the one where Jeremy asked jr to marry him really caught me off guard, but the fact she said yes stuck with me throughout the book. She is 13 years old and she is engaged to a killer, but not any killer, a man that killed her parents for her love. In society there are a lot of kids now that are going to these parties and all they do there is smoke or do drugs or drink, and most kids are under age to do that. Most are drop out students and they don't have a job so their job is selling drugs. I am not saying kids that do that are bad, it is just not good for their health. The exact same thing happened in the novel where Jr and Jermey went to a party and that's what was going on in that house. Our society and the novel are the exact same. Teenagers do run away from their families and they do say I hate you to their parents, but usually in the end we find our way back to them. In the novel she doesn't find her way back to her parents or brother she meant it and she didn't care. In my life I have said I want to run away before and I have left the house, but I couldn't do it. My family is my rock. They are there for me when I need them, but in the novel Jr’s family isn't there to help her through her tough times. Even some family members aren't there for her because of what she did. Jermeny and Jr repeatedly said I love you to each other multiple times and they also said they would do anything for each other a lot. The author did this to show us that they would do anything for each other and they did do something so they could be together in the future. The author did this to really emphasize their love and their relationship he really wants us to know how they are feeling and how they let those love feelings get the lead and that lead to the death of three. The author did bring in some happy memories at the beginning, as he talked about the family whenever Jr was a baby. The author did this to show us that Jr has transformed into a new girl she wasn't who she was in the memory. From her hairstyle change to her personality change, she was a different girl in just 13 years.


The author really went into deep description whenever it came to the dead bodies and what they looked like. The author didn't just tell us they got stabbed more than once he described what the wounds look like and how the bodies are positioned. I had shivers down my spine whenever I was reading the beginning and how the author mentioned the knives and the blood and how the brother was positioned. The description and the high vocabulary was really strong and effective. He built up suspense and he didn’t miss any details. There were some short sentences which really built the suspense up. The novel is written in third person multiple. There were some quotes and some dialogue in the novel with the family talking at the service for Jr’s dead brother and parents. The letters that Jr and Jeremy were in the book just like they wrote them, and I enjoyed reading them because it was from them not for the author. The author included pictures near the middle of the novel which was a technique that was interesting because I got to see what Jr and Jermey looked like. There was a picture of the comic strip that was found in Jr’s locker. The authors could have put in more detail about jail and how they felt and what it looked like. I thought that it got confusing during the part where they talk about all of their friends so the author could have made that more clear. I also think that at the party the setting was dull almost or too much, because I really did not enjoy the party that they went to after the murders. I also didn't enjoy the bag of clothes that Jeremy carried around with him. The author chose that setting at the party because he wants the readers to know where they went after the murders, and he wants us to know that parties is Jr and Jeremys way to relax and not think about the murder. The author also had to include Jermy carrying the bag of clothes because that shows the readers that he was lost, or he didn't know what to do with that bag, because it was full of his blood and Jr's parents blood.

In this book we can relate because there are men out there who date teenagers and use them. We can learn that sometimes people let their love for another person get in the way of life, but we need to know that it can't take over our life. There are limits to how far to go for someone and to kill your lover's parents is too far. There are murders out there but you don't want to become one. We may know someone as a sweet little angel but they are always capable of doing wrong. Everyone makes mistakes but you have to own up to your actions. You can't just lie about what you have done because that will get you in more trouble. Our parents can’t be perfect because they are human, but they try to give us a perfect life and we may not like what they have done or said to us, but deep inside we do still love them. No matter who you are or what you do, you are capable of anything. We may not like the outcomes or we may like what is happening but letting your emotions take control isn't always the answer. People can have two sides of them, one being nice and the other being a devil. Sometimes we will see that devil side it probably isn't pretty but we have to keep the intensity of that side down.

I would rate this book a 8.5/10 because I loved the detail and description of the big parts and I loved the story of the book but in some parts I was lost or confused or I just overall didn't like what was happening. The murders and the jail scenes were my favorite as they are juicy and they caught my attention pretty quickly. I think the author could have described more about what happened at home and why Jr hated her parents. I also would have liked to read more about Germany at home and his relationship with his mom. I think for some readers the blood and the stabbing grosses them out as they don't like reading about that kind of gorry detail, but for me I like it. The author developed the characters very well. I think that the author could have had Jr’s brother's best friend and his mom in the story more than just the beginning. I wanted to know how his best friend felt and what that family had to see. Overall this book was well developed and I enjoyed reading it for the most part. A nonfiction novel sometimes is harder for me to read because they have to tell what actually happened and so they need all the details, but in fiction you make up all of the twist and turns that you want, and so it was a different read for me.

[Barbara Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you killed your family, could you ever forgive yourself?
That’s one question I asked after reading this true-life story in the book Runaway Devil
While reading this book I kept looking for the justification of the murders. The sense in it all. A reason I could understand.
It’s hard to comprehend when children kill. Are they responsible for their actions? Do they understand the consequences? Can they be rehabilitated and function in society?
These questions all came to the forefront recently in the news of the six-year-old boy bringing a gun to school and shooting his teacher. I think we all would like to understand how this can happen.
Hopefully, we can prevent it in the future if we understand how and why.
I discovered this eBook while scrolling through my local online library.
I The murders happened in 2006.
April 23, 2006 three bodies were discovered inside a home on a quiet suburban street in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
At first investigators feared whoever murdered the family had abducted the12-year-old girl.
But it would turn out that she would become the youngest Canadian convicted of multiple homicide. One of the youngest females anywhere to commit familicide.
Not only were her parents killed, but also her eight-year-old brother.
Because of her age, the court ordered her identified only as J.R.
She had been a Catholic school honour student who became interested in Wicca.
Became part of the local goth scene. Hung out with a few dozen teens and young adults who dressed in black, wore black nail polish and eyeliner use black hair dye and sometimes white face paint. Connected with them on sites like VampireFreaks.com, a goth social network.
Still, all this is easily viewed an adolescence testing the limits of authority.
t is not a recent event. The book was published in 2009.

JR was more physically mature than most of her friends. She passed for fifteen or sixteen.

The author notes that studies show that girls who reach early puberty are at risk for delinquency and aggressive behaviour. Are also more likely to be depressed, socially withdrawn, moody, and sexually active.

JR began to exhibit some of those traits the summer she joined several social networking websites where she fashioned an online alter ego that was sexually potent and menacing.

Online she claimed to be sixteen. Among her interests she listed hatches, serial killers, criminal psychology, blood, moonlight, human anatomy and “kinky shit.”
For her heroes she listed American serial killer and cannibal Jeffery Dahmer, along side Batman, illusionist and musician Chris Angel, and heavy metal artists Marilyn Manson and Dani Filth who was the lead singer of a British heavy metal band Cradle of Filth.

ADD LINK TO SONG

She met Jeremy Steinke in the summer of 2005. He was twenty-two. A poor high-school dropout living with his mother in a trailer who had started to “go goth,” according to a close friend.

He was also interested in lycanthropy, the supernatural transformation of a person into a wolf, as recounted in folk tales. Jeremy believed he was a 300-year-old werewolf who liked the taste of blood
Clinical lycanthropy is a rare phenomenon usually associated with schizophrenia

Jeremy’s username was Souleater52
Jr’s user name was WHAT

Twenty-three-year-old Jeremy and seventh grade JR became girlfriend and boyfriend.
They hung out at the mall together and at other goth events.

JR’s parents became concerned about her involvement with older guys and started
monitoring her online activities. She didn’t like being treated like the twelve-year-old she was.
Her resentment and lack of freedom had her fantasizing about getting rid of her parents.
She felt she was being controlled too much and her parents were being unfair.
It made her angry and she wrote that she hated them. She started fantasizing about killing them and living with her boyfriend.

Her parents grounded her.

JR still managed to sneak out to spend time with Jeremy.
He found ways to slip her love notes via email. “You were a sight for soar [sic] eyes and I miss you more than killing people. Can we get together and kill people together?”

Her parents later took away the computer and started going for family counselling.
As soon as JR seemed to be co-operating, and agreed to stay away form older guys, they gave the computer back.

But JR did not stick with her agreement for long, and was soon sneaking out to be with Jeremy where they started talking about eliminating her parents. This meant leaving her little brother an orphan. They reasoned it would be unfair and decided it would be best for him to die too.

JR referred to her parents as her “parental units.”

Soon after the murders, another theory emerged. Police got a tip the couple were at a party the night before, both boasting of killing her parents. Steinke was quoted as saying he “gutted them like fish.”

Police caught the couple trying to escape in a pickup truck driven by one of their friends. They had traveled only 80 miles to Leader, Saskatchewan. Their fantasized escape plan had been to run away to Europe and live in a castle. But no plan on how it would take place.

The night of the slayings, Steinke watched his favorite movie — “Natural Born Killers,” directed by Oliver Stone. A 1994 film about a couple who goes on a bloody rampage.

Then JR and her boyfriend put their plans into action.
In the predawn hours, JR opened a basement window for him to crawl in.
It woke JR’s mother who thought her daughter was trying to sneak out. She went to stop her.

Jeremy stabbed JR’s mother 12 times. She died on the spot. The father woke and fought Jeremy. Just before he bled to death, he asked Steinke. Why? The assailant replied. “It’s what your daughter wanted.”

It is easy to compare Runaway Devil to Canada’s other female killer Karla Homolka who was convicted of manslaughter for the 1992 and 1993 murders of two Ontario schoolgirls with her husband, Paul Bernardo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karla_H...

Also, like Karla, JR is now released from prison and living somewhere in society.


The jurors found JR guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. The youngest person ever convicted in Canada of multiple homicide.

Three people had died so that she could have a relationship with twenty-year-old Jeremy.

Twelve is the age of criminal responsibility in Canada. If she had been six months younger, she would’ve been on probation.

Sentencing options were limited under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The maximum custodial sentence JR could receive was six years followed by another four years of conditional supervision in the community.

JR was also eligible to for the specialized care known as Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS). A program reserved for serious violent young offenders, diagnosed with a mental illness, a psychological disorder, or an emotional disturbance.

It was determined JR suffered from conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

The belief was that JR could become a productive member of society through treatment.

The told JR in sentencing, “You can never undo what you have done to your mom, dad, and little brother. However what you can do is honour their memory by dedicating your life to becoming the woman your parents and brother would be proud of.

It was noted that:
Child time is different than adult time. Remember when summer holidays lasted forever? Two months for a twelve-year-old child is a long time, a year is an eternity.

Kids aren’t deterred like adults are. They don’t have the formative notion of criminality like adults do. They know right from wrong, but in a different sense.” They also do not fully comprehend consequences.

Jeremy Steinke was sentenced to life without parole for twenty-five years. The judge encouraged him to take advantage of therapy while serving his sentence

Children who kill their parents fall into three categories.
i. The severely abused child who was pushed beyond his or her limits.
ii. The severely mentally ill child.
iii. The dangerously antisocial child.

It is believed that JR may be in the latter category. Though her psychological assessments are sealed. Only snippets had been presented in court.

Interestingly, Familicide is most likely to occur in ambitious, even prosperous, families. It is a middle-class crime.

JR did not kill her mother and father but made comments that led to the plan with Jeremy. The evidence is strong that she killed her brother. Both she and Jeremy blamed the other one for killed slitting her brother’s throat.

It wasn’t until five years after the murders that she finally admitted her role in the triple killings.

In an interview, JR who is Jasmine Richardson said, I had no intention to kill my brother, Jacob, but I killed him only to secure him from growing up an orphan. https://www.okaybliss.com/jasmine-ric...

That is something I cannot image living with.

After reading the book I did some online searches for updates.

Justice Scott Brooker told her:
“Clearly you cannot undo the past. You can only live each day with the knowledge that you can control how you behave and what you do each day. You’ve indicated through your conduct over that last 8.5 years you have a desire to atone for what you did.”

“We don’t talk about curing mental health problems rather it’s about giving people the tools they need to deal with those challenges that might be a trigger,” said Dr. Patrick Baillie, a psychologist with Alberta Health Services and a lawyer. “There is no cure. The disorders don’t go away. It’s about changing somebody’s brain in the way they use it. It’s about behavioural strategies to help with management.”

She is now a thriving 22-year-old university student. Reportedly remorseful. She had spent four years in an Edmonton psychiatric institution and 4 1/2 years under conditional supervision in Calgary.

A therapist and probation officer described her as engaging, insightful, funny, passionate.

J.R. is officially a free woman today. A decade after masterminding the murder of her parents and little brother, the years of intensive psychotherapy and reintegration into society are said to have paid off.

She is now free and does not have to reveal anything about her youth record in the future unless she wants to.
She is not required to reveal she has murdered her own brother and parents.
If she commits no offences for five years after her release, she will be granted a clean slate and she can do whatever she wants to do.

Let’s hope her rehabilitated has been successful.

If you like to read true crime stories, this book is well written and I recommend it.

[Jeannine Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually one to read True crime novels, but a friend of a friend, suggested I read it since I am undeniably fascinated with the serial killer culture, and anything to do with psychology. I was definitely interested once I found out that the murderer was a twelve year old girl from Canada. "JR" is what they call her in the book, due to the fact that she was underage at the time of the murders and could not be identified due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act here in Canada. But with a simple google search of the book tittle, you can find out her real identity and pictures that are not blurred. She was dubbed "Runaway Devil" by the media, because it was her net handle at the time for various websites like Vampirefreaks.com.
Jr is like any typical teenager that falls in love with someone forbidden. Shes attracted to anything that is considered shocking or strange, anything to cause a reaction from people; even if its a negative one. Jr met the man of her nightmares through mutual goth friends that hung out at the same mall. When her parents become aware of her love affair with 23 year old, Jeremy, she becomes grounded, trapped inside a home 24/7 with a family she can't seem to love.
In court they plead that there was never any plans for her parents and little brother to be murdered, but there is tons of evidence that says otherwise. Jr constantly pressured Jeremy into "helping" kill her family. One drug fueled night Jeremy broke into her parents home and murdered both her father and mother, but neither Jr or Jeremy will admit to killing the young boy. When they were finally arrested, they shared love notes to each other, Jr showed no remorse, or that Jeremy frightened her. However, after being sentenced they both parted ways, Jr had used Jeremy for exactly what she wanted.
There could be a lot of arguments made about this case: Is she truly a murderer if she never physically killed her parents? Should Jeremy be completely at fault for being manipulated, and clearly intoxicated on the night of the murders? Jeremy admits to being high on cocaine, which is a mind alternating drug, so can you really blame him for a crime that was done under such a drug?
Jr will be free soon, if not already. She has been in a facility that taxes payers money has been keeping her, a grand total of $100,000 a year, so she can get the best treatment as possible. It is their conclusion that she cannot be held accountable for murdering her family when she was twelve, simply because a child's brain isn't quite developed at that age.
In my opinion, I feel like if she had the urges to murder at twelve years old, and has no remorse for what happened to her family, she will kill again one day. She is clearly a psychopath, and it's ridiculous not to hold her accountable for her actions for merely her age. She should not be allowed back into society, even if it's unlikely that she would kill again. There's always that lingering feeling as well that all evidence pointed to her for the murder of her younger brother. Someone like that should not be gifted the right to freedom and her parents money when she gets out.
The writers of this phenomenal book are journalists from the Calgary Herald. Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose did a tremendous job with the information the received on the case, and the research they did on the topic at hand was extensive and quite fascinating. They leave all their personal feelings aside (which can be very difficult as a writer) and allow you to come up with your own conclusion based on the facts and information that they have provided. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious on journalism, because it is definitely written by two great journalist. As well as anyone who loves true crime. This book definitely gets a 5/5 from me!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: I wish I remembered how I came to learn about the familial homicides committed by a twelve-year-old girl named Jasmine and her twenty-three-year-old boyfriend Jeremy, but I don't know. I just kept a passive interest in the case when it happened to cross my path, and recently I learnt there was a book written about it, so I borrowed it from the library.

The Plot: Technically speaking, there is a publication ban on the young offender implicated in the crimes in this book. That being said, if you search for her full name, it's super easy to track down who 'JR' is online. JR was a rebellious, physically mature teenager experimenting with goth and Wiccan culture when she met Jeremy, a hyperactive outsider that just wanted to be loved. She consistently talked about a deep hatred for her family and begged for Jeremy to kill them for her so she they could be together, which he eventually did - slaughtering her mother and father by knife after breaking into the house. The story is somewhat more unclear about JR's eight-year-old brother Jacob and how he died, but most sources point to JR being the cause of that death. The book is a detailed, clear cut breakdown of the whole debacle, from plotting to mass murder to the aftermath and the courts.

The Good & The Bad: This book is not particularly sensationally written - it's very clear cut (at times meandering into slightly random, dry tangents) and factual, and gives the most honest rendition of the facts versus all the stuff written about the pair on the internet. The authors do the best with the materials they have to work with - a very short time frame and sealed court items related to JR - consult a wide range of sources, and really just make the story incredibly simple. Despite the title about 'how' JR could do this, the book doesn't really delve into it too much until the epilogue.

The book is certainly not a light read. It's chilling, particularly in regards to the youth justice act and the handling of JR, who will likely be on the streets in just under two years from now. That being said, it's well-paced and as I've said a million times, finally just cuts through the clutter and bashing on the internet. I still had a few questions but I got why perhaps they weren't able to be answered.

I noticed on goodreads here some people think the book is too sympathetic towards Jeremy or perhaps too harsh on Jasmine - I think the authors do a solid job of not showing any bias other than having a tone of shock and confusion that most readers and people who know anything about the case would have.

Also, although it's totally not the author's fault, there were way too many names with 'J' in them. Jordan, Jacob, Jeremy, JR...it got confusing sometimes!

The Bottom Line: A clear, gripping, chilling account of one of the worst murders in Canadian history.

Anything Memorable?: I can't believe I could find something funny in this book, but I did. A couple of years ago my sister asked me to pick up a bottle of wine as a hostess gift for a cabin weekend. As a joke I bought 'Vampire' wine because I thought it was ridiculous. The book fixates on vampire wine at one point and how it's really popular with the Goth set, and I almost laughed out loud. Oops!

50-Book Challenge?: Book #33 in 2010.

[Derek Donais · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know that strange urge to slow down and look that grips you when driving past the scene of an accident? That macabre pull to see what's happened? Well, I had that experience with the latest book up for review: Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-Year-Old to Murder Her Family. Seeing the book, it rekindled my curiosity regarding the horrific stories I'd heard after the events of that 2006 spring in Medicine Hat. While I can usually fight off the temptation to slow down and 'rubberneck' at an accident site, I was intrigued by the book and thought I might be able to make more sense of the incident than I had from the news and television coverage that immediately followed it.

Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose, the authors, have done a great deal of work and diligent research putting together a solid account of this tragic occurrence. They combined previously released information with unpublished details and produced a book that examines the history and circumstances of the major individuals involved. From J.R.—the book's shorthand for the twelve-year-old subject of the novel—and Jeremy Steinke, her partner in crime, and their marginalized or cast-off peers, to the family who was brutally and coldly murdered and the central police figures who investigated the case. What's presented is a detailed and thorough observation of all those who played a part, whatever their role.

To the reader, it appears that a series of unfortunate and seemingly disconnected events conspired and, ultimately, led to this disastrous act. The writers traced the path of J.R.'s parents as they struggled to build successful, middle class careers from very humble and even troubled beginnings, moving from Ontario, to Okotoks and finally settling in Medicine Hat. We are introduced to the personalities of Marc and Debra and their hopes of making a better life for themselves and their children.

Accounts are also provided of the lives of J.R. and her eight-year-old brother, Jacob, which help to round out the beginning, giving us a snapshot of what, by all appearances, should have been two happy children living in a stable and well-adjusted family.

The remainder of the book, in addition to a disturbing version of the events that transpired on and immediately after the night of April 23, 2006, deals largely with the deteriorating relationship between J.R. and her parents or details about the friends and acquaintances who crossed paths with J.R. and Jeremy at various points and for various periods. These range from transient, mall-going 'goths' to estranged school friends. The book ends with a discussion of J.R.'s incarceration and pending release.

Overall, the book is a progression of darkening and often bizarre scenes, each of which lends another piece to the overall puzzle that this deplorable event represents. Slowly and inescapably, the story unfolded, much to my discomfort and unease. Knowing the outcome in advance was no help in this instance.

Through no fault of the writers', I formed more questions than answers in reading Runaway Devil. It is a well written and solidly documented piece of writing. But, I can't say I'm pleased to have thumbed through its pages and, needless to say, I'll think twice before giving in to my morbid curiosity the next time—whether on the highway or the bookstore.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journalistic reporting of Jasmine Richardson and Jeremy Steinke's relationship and their murder of Jasmine's parents and 8 year old brother.

Remington and Zickefoose provide more background and detail than newspapers provide, allowing readers to move past early reports that Richardson was under Steinke's control.

From a psychology perspective, I would like to have seen more evidence of Steinke's cognitive deficits if that is available--the authors bring up the possibility of fetal alcohol syndrome and link it to his lifelong hyperactivity and impulsivity, and they note that he appears to repeat what he has heard without being able to generate new phrasing or content, but they don't delve into questions of IQ and whether Steinke's short-sightedness in carrying out this crime was the result of his not being able to think any better under the best of circumstances, rather than being the result of his desperate affection-seeking and "immaturity".

Another angle the book just touches upon is the role of online community in identity formation for adolescents. We can't blame the internet for creating Jasmine Richardson--water seeks its own level--but it is worthwhile to think about the role of online "friendships" functioning as validations in the lives of young people who feel alienated from those around them IRL, when those "friendships" are places where the murderers could report for weeks their plan and intent to kill the Richardson family and be met with no guidance or resistance or even advice about how to achieve their goals without murdering anyone.

I work with many young people who spend all their time in the same kind of online friendships that Jasmine and Jeremy depended upon, where they see themselves as helping each other through the trials and tribulations of being a square peg in a viciously conformist world. Needless to say the result for 99.999% of these young people is not murder, but whether it is healthy for young people to have other equally miserable persons validating their perspective and providing endless 'support' and approval is a valid question brought up by reading the chat messages between Jasmine and Jeremy and their goth/vampire/lycan friends.

The underlying problems in Jasmine and Jeremy were not created by online communities, but neither were they addressed or healed there.

Today Jasmine Richardson is a free citizen going about life under a new name. No longer hospitalized or detained, her juvenile record of triple homicide does not follow her, per Canadian law. Meanwhile, the intellectually and emotionally-challenged Jeremy will remain incarcerated for decades, though she is clearly the more dangerous of the two.

[Bill reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a bad seed. The twelve-year-old girl identified as JR in the book used the label "runaway devil" as her name online. Text messages between her and her twenty-three year-old lover are chilling. "I want to bang you" and "I want to kill my parents" are two of the more disturbing entries by the Catholic school girl. In my day, the nuns would have beaten some sense into the goth girl.
JR's boyfriend, Jeremy, or "soul eater" was in constant touch and after being coerced by his young lover, agreed to her plan to kill her mother and father. Her eight-year-old brother would be collateral damage.
The cocaine fueled Jeremy sliced and diced JR's family, and the happy couple then left the slaughterhouse and had sex. Witnesses at a party described the pair as grinding on a couch shortly after the crime.
Crime scene investigators believed that JR might have been abducted but she quickly became a suspect upon further review. Romeo and Juliet had been inspired by the Mickey and Mallory characters from Natural Born Killers and left Dodge.
Upon capture, JR first denied involvement but eventually admitted to being present while Jeremy hacked up her family. She penned an apology to her "parent units."
While being transferred in a van, Jeremy described the stabbings of JR's mother and father to an undercover cop. He also accused her of killing her brother.
A female prosecutor did a fabulous cross examination at JR's trial. She poked numerous holes in her story. Her texts to Jeremy only proved the case against her.
I will leave out the outcome for the curious reader. An online search will reveal JR's identity. Runaway Devil is a fabulous true crime read.

[Lee-Ann27.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in true crime stories, as sad and horrible as they are. This one I remember quite vividly being an Alberta resident and only living a few hours from Medicine Hat where this horrible event took place. I can't even imagine EVER being that mad at my parents or family members to ever want them dead ESPECIALLY at 12 yrs old. Obviously the major problem in this heartbreaking story is the ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING legal system we have in Canada for young offenders!!!! If you are old enough to kill someone or rape or whatever then you are old enough to suffer the consequences like a frigging ADULT!!! These bullshit laws need to change!!!

[Olivia Brisebois · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Medicine Hat murders is talked about in high school in our social studies class, because it was a one in a million case. I didn't know there was a book so having read it now, I feel like I know more on the subject then I had before. I think both the killers were sick individuals who thought themselves to be more then what they were. I don't think JR was groomed, I think she was most likely the mastermind behind it all. I only hope that the two of them are doing better wherever they are and that their actions haunt them.

[Alana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written pish by a pair of second rate authors who have apparently never heard of ethics. Coercing minor witnesses into interviews without the consent of their parents, idolising a predatory pedophile and largely blaming a child. Not a good look for these two, though the try-hard writing suggests that they thought they were on to a winner. A real shame that this got published.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m from a small town between Calgary & Medicine Hat. I know exactly where “JR” lived, I’ve been to the MH Mall many times & my son goes to MRU just like her. I don’t know what goes on in her heart or her head but in my opinion, has she really suffered? I don’t know if she’s driven or tormented, but the fact that she’s enjoying all that life has to offer (less than 15yrs based on my math, which probably sucks) makes me wonder whether she saw or felt justice. The fact that she’s never admitted to who killed her little brother speaks volumes.

Looking at Jeremy’s life, he never stood a chance: the son of 2 active alcoholics, a victim of physical and mental abuse from a very young age, the target of extreme childhood bullying and a sufferer of severe mental illness all on his own, but, by virtue of having 6 extra years on her, he’s spending the rest of his life in jail. Regardless that his mental illness runs MUCH deeper than JR’s & he never had the early life benefits and access to love that she was given.

There are NO easy answers in this situation. We all say & think that something like this could never happen in our small towns or neighbourhoods but it did. & like the questions regarding the punishments of JR & Jeremy continue & why they did what they did, so do the questions of HOW & WHY live on in our communities.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the author did a good job of handling the facts of a case that happened under such bizarre circumstances to how cases as these normally go. In many cases, especially violent cases perpetrated by a male-female team, the male is often the dominant partner and the female is often and in many ways forced into the role of the submissive partner. But in those rare cases such as this where the female is in fact a willing participant, they are still given a much lighter sentence then that of their male counterparts. Such was the case here, in part because the girl was under age perhaps, but I would also argue simply because of her sex. A similar ruling was made in the case of Canada's other famous female killer, the case of Carla Homolka. She was an equal participant in several murders with her boyfriend and later husband, Paul Bernardo. They were dubbed the Ken and Barbie Killers and the prosecution let her off with an extremely light sentence which would come to be known as, 'the Deal with the Devil'. If you would enjoy a good look at a spine chilling case, this would be a good start.

[Mrs. Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true-crime fan, I’m always happy to come across a murder I’ve never heard of, especially one with an unusual element. A barely teen-aged perpetrator - and a female one at that - fills the bill nicely, and that’s what Runaway Devil supplies. The oddest thing about it, however, is that I happened to read it just weeks before coming across another Canadian (well, essentially) barely teen-aged female who coaxed/seduced a different couple of much-older guys into ridding her of one or more inconvenient family members. The authors seem to attribute the transformation from middle school honor student to conniving murderess, to wearing black clothes, having sex with high school dropouts and practicing Wicca, although I personally don’t think they give enough credit to lousy weather. In my opinion Michael Freeman’s Love You Madly is the more interesting of the two books, but true crime fans may enjoy reading both, for a kind of compare & contrast.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot while reading this book. The story-telling was great, but I felt like the “exciting” part of details of the actual act was told super early in the book. The rest of the book dragged until it got to the trials. It blows my mind that someone who is almost exactly my age (JR and I were born in the same month and year) could have done something like this AND could quite possibly be living her life now as if nothing happened. I never researched to see if her record was fully expunged and if she was truly able to be rehabilitated. I don’t honestly think there’s any way to come back from committing a crime this horrendous.

This book was a recommendation from Morbid podcast, and you should listen to their episode about this case (as well as the rest of the episodes)! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about this case or is interesting in dark, true crime books.